Account blocked after submitting a story

[StillStunned]

So long as you know where it is, and then your hoopiness will be there for all to see.

It's been a while since I've been considered a hoopy frood.

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

We needed more Douglas Adams in this conversation.

We needed more Douglas Adams in life. Poor guy died at 45, I think it was. And Terry Pratchett, the only conetemporary author who could be regarded as a peer to Adams, first developed dementia, then died. I don't remember if he even made it to 70. Incredibly, Pratchett wrote three more books ... with dementia!

What is it with these British authors?

 

[Writer61]

We needed more Douglas Adams in life.

We did. The funniest author ever IMHO (never quite got Pratchett). There are a couple of Hitchhikers references in the last part of 'The Fall of Laura' and I should work more into my stories.

I do wonder whether non-Brits, even native English speakers, get all the jokes unless steeped in British culture.

 

[AwkwardMD]

We did. The funniest author ever IMHO (never quite got Pratchett). There are a couple of Hitchhikers references in the last part of 'The Fall of Laura' and I should work more into my stories.

I do wonder whether non-Brits, even native English speakers, get all the jokes unless steeped in British culture.

How would we even know?

 

[MelissaBaby]

How would we even know?

Joseph Heller said there was one joke in Catch-22 that no one ever got. Of course, once he said that, people constantly asked, but he never revealed if any of them found it.

 

[sinfantasy]

Joseph Heller said there was joke in Catch-22 that no one ever got

“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22."

 

[Actingup]

How would we even know?

It's also possible that we were laughing at different things. From my limited experience of the UK, I thought it was an excellent documentary series.

 

[Britva415]

Our two chief weapons are fear and surprise

and a fanatical devotion to the Pope!

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

and a fanatical devotion to the Pope!

Three! Our three chief weapons are ...

The Python gang were so great!

 

[TheRedChamber]

We needed more Douglas Adams in life. Poor guy died at 45, I think it was. And Terry Pratchett, the only conetemporary author who could be regarded as a peer to Adams, first developed dementia, then died. I don't remember if he even made it to 70. Incredibly, Pratchett wrote three more books ... with dementia!

What is it with these British authors?

The first real job I ever had was at the very beginning of the dot-com bubble. A big American tech firm was expanding agressively, they hired me and a week later decided didn't need their UK office after all and started redudancy proceeding for everyone. My new boss was pissed and since the parent office hadn't cordoned off the yearly training and team-building budgets he burned through them as quickly as possible, booking us into a tech conference and taking us all out to the best sushi restaurant in London. Douglas Adams gave one of the key-note speeches about ecommerce there (the organizers working on the basis that he was vaguely techy and nerds love Hitch-hikers) He passed away from a heart attack about a year later and I was devestated.

Pratchett on the other hand was almost completely ignored by the British media for most of his career (until JK Rowling meant it was suddenly okay for broadsheets to deign to read fantasy ) and the first time I even saw him on TV was his documentary about assisted suicide.

I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to buy The Colour of Magic at age ten. Buying books with pocket money was stupid because they were available for free in the library. Still the combination of Josh Kirby cover and wacky blurb on the back worked its magic on me. The next time I was able to get to the city a few weeks later I brought the Light Fantastic. Then I brought Equal Rites and Mort together. After that I had an agonizing wait because Sourcery was only available in hardback and my pocket money definitely didn't run to that. Nevertheless I sat in the shop and read the first few sections (not chapters...no,no,no) of the book.

This established a pattern that ran throughout my childhood. Unlike Adams, Pratchett was an especially prolific and regular author and as I only got to go to town once every couple of months, I could predict if when there was likely to a new book out either a hardback preview or a full softback story.

This all predated the mass Internet and obviously over the years it became easier to get news about forthcoming books. When he announced his diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimers, at first I assumed that he would want to spend his remaining time with his family, but shortly afterwards he made it clear that he intended to keep writing until he was no longer capable.

After that, the release of each book (and there were way more than three) took on new signficance. Somethig new on the bookstore shelf meant he was 'okay' which felt far more important that just having a new book. Of course, it was very difficult to read those books and stop yourself from looking for signs of 'decline' I remember though reading Unseen Academicals and being blown away that it was the best thing he'd written in at least a decade.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Pratchett on the other hand was almost completely ignored by the British media for most of his career (until JK Rowling meant it was suddenly okay for broadsheets to deign to read fantasy ) and the first time I even saw him on TV was his documentary about assisted suicide.

He was knighted long before that, though.

--Annie

 

[HelenL]

"I expect if it was played now, someone like Iron Lily would go running up and down the touchline shouting 'Get some head, you soft nellies,'" said Jade.
They walked in silence for a while.
"I think," said Gloria, cautiously, "that she probably wouldn't, actually."
(Soul Music)

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

The first real job I ever had was at the very beginning of the dot-com bubble. A big American tech firm was expanding agressively, they hired me and a week later decided didn't need their UK office after all and started redudancy proceeding for everyone. My new boss was pissed and since the parent office hadn't cordoned off the yearly training and team-building budgets he burned through them as quickly as possible, booking us into a tech conference and taking us all out to the best sushi restaurant in London. Douglas Adams gave one of the key-note speeches about ecommerce there (the organizers working on the basis that he was vaguely techy and nerds love Hitch-hikers) He passed away from a heart attack about a year later and I was devestated.

Pratchett on the other hand was almost completely ignored by the British media for most of his career (until JK Rowling meant it was suddenly okay for broadsheets to deign to read fantasy ) and the first time I even saw him on TV was his documentary about assisted suicide.

I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to buy The Colour of Magic at age ten. Buying books with pocket money was stupid because they were available for free in the library. Still the combination of Josh Kirby cover and wacky blurb on the back worked its magic on me. The next time I was able to get to the city a few weeks later I brought the Light Fantastic. Then I brought Equal Rites and Mort together. After that I had an agonizing wait because Sourcery was only available in hardback and my pocket money definitely didn't run to that. Nevertheless I sat in the shop and read the first few sections (not chapters...no,no,no) of the book.

This established a pattern that ran throughout my childhood. Unlike Adams, Pratchett was an especially prolific and regular author and as I only got to go to town once every couple of months, I could predict if when there was likely to a new book out either a hardback preview or a full softback story.

This all predated the mass Internet and obviously over the years it became easier to get news about forthcoming books. When he announced his diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimers, at first I assumed that he would want to spend his remaining time with his family, but shortly afterwards he made it clear that he intended to keep writing until he was no longer capable.

After that, the release of each book (and there were way more than three) took on new signficance. Somethig new on the bookstore shelf meant he was 'okay' which felt far more important that just having a new book. Of course, it was very difficult to read those books and stop yourself from looking for signs of 'decline' I remember though reading Unseen Academicals and being blown away that it was the best thing he'd written in at least a decade.

My first Pratchett was "Eric." Couldn't have picked a better intro. Color of Magicv and Sourcery, while good, were not at the point (I thought) where Terry had hit his stride. Good, but not great. Everything after those, though? Incredible. My all-time favorite is "Small Gods." I cannot think of any other author in modern times who captured the pitfalls of blind faith, better. And wrapped it up in a honkling great story, to boot.

Death, and The Death Of Rats were my favorite characters. "SQUEAK. It was only the squeak of a rat. But it somehow resembled the finlity of tons of lead falling on a planet of Granite."

I take it back. My all-time favorite was "Hogfather." But I loved them all.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

My first Pratchett was "Eric." Couldn't have picked a better intro. Color of Magicv and Sourcery, while good, were not at the point (I thought) where Terry had hit his stride. Good, but not great. Everything after those, though? Incredible. My all-time favorite is "Small Gods." I cannot think of any other author in modern times who captured the pitfalls of blind faith, better. And wrapped it up in a honkling great story, to boot.

Death, and The Death Of Rats were my favorite characters. "SQUEAK. It was only the squeak of a rat. But it somehow resembled the finlity of tons of lead falling on a planet of Granite."

I take it back. My all-time favorite was "Hogfather." But I loved them all.

The movie of Hogfather is also quite good. Michelle Dockery was PERFECT as Susan.

 

[TheRedChamber]

He was knighted long before that, though.

--Annie

A quick google shows he was diagnosed in 2007, knighted in 2010, and the documentary was made in 2011.

But basically the process of him being 'noticed by the establishment' started alongside Pottermania in the early 2000s when they suddenly started writing about 'the other famous fantasy writer' and later the Alzheimers increased his 'human interest' quotent.

My first Pratchett was "Eric." Couldn't have picked a better intro. Color of Magicv and Sourcery, while good, were not at the point (I thought) where Terry had hit his stride. Good, but not great. Everything after those, though? Incredible. My all-time favorite is "Small Gods." I cannot think of any other author in modern times who captured the pitfalls of blind faith, better. And wrapped it up in a honkling great story, to boot.

Small Gods is my favourite as well, closely squeeking out Mort, Guards Guards, Good Omens, Interesting Times and Unseen Academics - (and probably three or four others that I'll tack on after someone else reminds me of them) If I remember rightly Sourcery was Pratchett's first book as a full time author the next few were definitely his golden age (from Pyramids to about Reaper Man)

 

[HelenL]

I take it back. My all-time favorite was "Hogfather." But I loved them all.

I have never been able to settle on a favorite, though I've tried. Witches Abroad, maybe? (And the idea of stories as living entities still creeps me out and fascinates me.) Night Watch. Hogfather. Guards! Guards! ("Would you like your figgin toasted?") The first two really don't live up to everything else, because he was still writing parody and hadn't realized what he'd created, but I love "Equal Rites." And the ending of "Reaper Man" is so moving because the book has been so much of a farce.

I think the only one I didn't really enjoy much after the first two was "Jingo," because I don't care for parallel worlds stories in general, but maybe I need to try again.

 

[Actingup]

A quick google shows he was diagnosed in 2007, knighted in 2010, and the documentary was made in 2011.

But basically the process of him being 'noticed by the establishment' started alongside Pottermania in the early 2000s when they suddenly started writing about 'the other famous fantasy writer' and later the Alzheimers increased his 'human interest' quotent.



Small Gods is my favourite as well, closely squeeking out Mort, Guards Guards, Good Omens, Interesting Times and Unseen Academics - (and probably three or four others that I'll tack on after someone else reminds me of them) If I remember rightly Sourcery was Pratchett's first book as a full time author the next few were definitely his golden age (from Pyramids to about Reaper Man)

Since we're talking about Sir Terry, I would say that one of his many amazing abilities that is highly relevant to the Author's Hangout was to be able to lure the reader in with a premise (it's funny... it's fantasy... it's silly) and then make you cry or exult with profound insights into the nature of love, life and death. Just to have a fraction of his skill there while writing stories about sex would be amazing.

 

[HelenL]

Since we're talking about Sir Terry, I would say that one of his many amazing abilities that is highly relevant to the Author's Hangout was to be able to lure the reader in with a premise (it's funny... it's fantasy... it's silly) and then make you cry or exult with profound insights into the nature of love, life and death.

Exactly! That's why I love the end of Reaper Man so much.

And of course there's Sam Vimes Boots theory of economics. (For a serious rather than emotional insight.)

 

[filthytrancendence]

We needed more Douglas Adams in this conversation.

Here was my experience with this thread:

Took a gander a couple days back, seemed pretty open and shut, stopped looking at it.

Keep seeing it get bumped, so I opened it up a bit ago, go to the 4th (current) page, and see an in-depth discussion of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

Wonder how in the shit we got from A to Zebra. Read through everything, expecting the Douglas Adams turn much earlier. Turns out it's post 73... lol

10/10, unhinged thread, would scan again.

 

[HelenL]

10/10, unhinged thread, would scan again.

I keep being tempted back here by my phone notifications. "Literotica: Account blocked" disturbs me every time it appears.

 

[Actingup]

I keep being tempted back here by my phone notifications. "Literotica: Account blocked" disturbs me every time it appears.

Phone notifications for Literotica seems next level to me....

 

[HelenL]

Phone notifications for Literotica seems next level to me....

Indirect. The notification is for email and I've never gotten around to turning off email notifications since I never visit the forums... but this thread has delivered much amusement.

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

The movie of Hogfather is also quite good. Michelle Dockery was PERFECT as Susan.

YES! She was amazing, the whole production was perfect! And Terry's cameo made me jump right out of my chair, shouting YES!

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

I keep being tempted back here by my phone notifications. "Literotica: Account blocked" disturbs me every time it appears.

I had that same bolt of fear when I saw the thread continue in my email! "Oh, geez, what have I done this time?"

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

Here was my experience with this thread:

Took a gander a couple days back, seemed pretty open and shut, stopped looking at it.

Keep seeing it get bumped, so I opened it up a bit ago, go to the 4th (current) page, and see an in-depth discussion of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

Wonder how in the shit we got from A to Zebra. Read through everything, expecting the Douglas Adams turn much earlier. Turns out it's post 73... lol

10/10, unhinged thread, would scan again.

"It's the thread drift that makes it great!"